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| Ennis, still waiting for the rides I promised her. |
Never in my farm life, have I had such a difficult time keeping up with my blogs. I only have two but still...I'm way behind. It's not as if I have nothing to blog about, I have tons, but doing what we need to do and finding the time to write about it, has become extremely difficult.
Especially when you take an entire weekend off to run around with your sisters! Inexcusable I tell ya.
It was a grand time though, me and my three female siblings on a road trip with two whole nights away. We spent the majority of the time just talking and eating and driving and talking some more. Oh, and laughing or "cackling'' as our spouses refer to it. Whatever. We had fun.
On The Poor Farm home front however, fall is here with all it's work related anxiety. So much to get done before winter! We did finally get some decent rain and with the warm days and cool nights, some renewed pasture growth. A sweet treat for cow Liz, horse Ennis and the steers. Before our two biggest beefy fellows got too comfy though, Keith hauled them off to the locker as planned. While there he picked up our whole hog, which sat curing at the same locker for the last three weeks.
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| The Boys AKA Rib Eyes and Burger |
As soon as Keith and I got our meat all unloaded and reorganized in our freezers we were frying up the bacon (our first in months) for BLT's. I also set aside some pork chops for my own evening meal and threw a five pound bag of pork fat on the counter to thaw for lard making tomorrow. While digging about in our freezers we found several beef marrow bones so they went into a crock pot to simmer for hours and hours to make beef broth.
This Saturday we start broiler chicken butchering. We have 28 to do and plan to do them in two lots. 14 this weekend and 14 next weekend. Like the pork, we've been without our own chicken for a couple months and refusing to buy store pork or chicken, we've been eating LOTS of beef. So happy to have more variety in the meat part of our diets.
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| The broilers in their Electrified pen just outside my studio |
It's our own fault. Once you start growing your own food it becomes increasingly difficult to stomach factory farmed or restaurant food.
Now, the barn.
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| Skeletal barn just waiting for it's steel skin. |
The framing is complete and limestone has been delivered to go under the concrete which was supposed to be poured tonight for the shop area. Unfortunately the concrete guy has gotten tied up with another job so won't be here until the first week of November to pour the concrete. Ah well, gives us even more time to save up the money needed to pay for said services.
Tomorrow Keith and I will start attaching the steel walls to the outside of the barn, followed by the roof. If the weather holds and we're not pulled in other directions we might have walls and roof attached by the time the concrete guy shows up.
It's a plan.
That barn looks terrific. Well worth the wait and hair pulling. It will soon be done. Here's hoping the wind is gentle, for all that metal sheet installation.
ReplyDeleteNothing says satisfaction like a full freezer! You have been busy! Hope the concrete pour goes well. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteSister days (or weekends)are the best!!! Several years ago I made shirts for my 3 sisters and myself that say "I don't need a therapist, I have my sisters". I also have 4, now adult, daughters. They have their own sister chat and try to get together for sister days as often as they can. I am so happy that they have a great relationship. There is nothing better.
ReplyDeleteI know real life includes plenty of brawn and muscle work. But looking at the photographs-^ I can only think you live in heaven on earth.
ReplyDeleteThe barn looks great! So much bigger than ours but you do have bigger critters! Sounds like you're on track to make some real progress now. (We're waylaid by vehicle problems!)
ReplyDeleteAfter years of farming, you would think Leigh, that I would just relax about upcoming seasons. We prepare, they come, and one way or the other we come out on the other side of spring. So many cycles...so little time. :)
DeleteHi Donna :) So nice to get an update! Heck, I don't have a farm and I'm feeling overwhelmed by October chores to do too. The barn looks so amazing in that photo! It sounds like you had a blast with your sista's :) It's good to let loose once in a while! :)
ReplyDeleteWow that barn is huge! Love it! And you know that picture is beautiful in a way with the light shining through the beams. Things should start happening fast for you. And you can do it with full tummies, ha.
ReplyDeleteThis is true. We are tired, a bit stressed, but never hungry. On our other farm we hired people to build our buildings, we had the money but no time. Now we have little money but a bit more time. well, at least I do. Keith is out in the work world now. Yikes, the changes we've made these last two years!
DeleteThe barn looks very good. Is that a strip of brickwork around the bottom?
ReplyDeleteOne thing is for sure, you will be eatin' good in the neighborhood, Donna, and know that the food was raised by you and Keith. We enjoyed having our own vegetable garden when we lived in VA, even if Pat grew a bit too much at times. Living in an apt now has its challenges as far as fresh food, but in the summer we have a local farmer's market and the local grocery stores also sell produce from area farms.
ReplyDeleteForgot to add, that the barn is really looking good and very large!
ReplyDelete